Bay Area storm to bring high winds, up to 6 inches of rain

Updated 3:24 pm, Monday, December 12, 2016

The forecast for the Bay Area calls for increasing chances for rain. Chief Meteorologist Bill Martin has the forecast.

Media: KTVU

A one-two punch of storm systems will roll into the Bay Area this week, and the second downpour, coming Thursday, will be accompanied by strong and gusty winds, forecasters said Monday.

Rain was expected to return to the region starting Tuesday, but the bulk of precipitation will fall mostly in the North Bay, whose mountains will see up to 2 inches of rain. Elsewhere, about 0.2 to 0.4 inches are expected, according to the National Weather Service.

But beginning late Wednesday and extending into Thursday, a powerful storm is expected to march in, bringing as much as 6 inches of rain in some mountainous pockets. Gusts up to 35 mph in urban areas and more than 55 mph at higher elevations could down power lines and trees and trigger power outages, said Steve Anderson, a weather service forecaster.

More Bay Area News

Morning and afternoon commutes may be especially slow with rain, winds and potential flooding creating treacherous roadways. Some coastal highways will also be contending with inundation from king tides during the late morning and early afternoon.

Rock slides and debris flows are also possible in areas of steep terrain, forecasters said, especially across the burn scars of the Monterey and Santa Cruz mountains where the Loma and Soberanes fires scorched miles of vegetation earlier this year.

Dry weather will return Friday and continue through the weekend, forecasters said.